About Us

At Kaha, we pride ourselves in providing our customers with the highest quality telemetry solution as well as continual support throughout all stages of the customer’s Kaha experience. Kaha Sciences Ltd manufactures, promotes and sells telemetry solutions for small animals, using the latest technologies in physiological sensors and wireless power. The Kaha Sciences telemetry products have been around for over 10 years and have been extensively used globally in academic and research institutions as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The patented wireless power technology along with a Mikro-Tip catheter (Millar Inc.) containing the solid-state sensor at the catheter tip, was the first product of its type. This provides customers with the ability and confidence to measure long-term, highly accurate and sensitive recordings from intracardiac through to intracranial pressures. The product range has grown to include specific and unique devices such as tissue oxygen and SNA/Pressure telemeters.

In New Zealand’s indigenous language, Te Reo Maori, “Kaha” means to be strong, able, capable, courageous, intense, energetic, all qualities that we believe symbolize the confidence in the Kaha Sciences telemetry solution and the contribution it makes to our customers’ scientific advancements.

The whole Kaha Team is committed to new as well as existing customers and business partners, in providing the highest quality product and continual scientific support, advice and training that our clients have come to expect.

 

Key Personnel

Joe Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer

Joe has been in the commercial biotech/life sciences industry for nearly 20 years, working in offices/companies based in Australia, Brazil and New Zealand. From product development through to senior management he has had the opportunity to travel and visit customers while promoting, assisting and training users within the academic, Biotech and Pharma sectors. With a doctorate in cardiovascular developmental physiology, experiences as a research fellow along with various academic positions in Australian Universities, he understands the customer in the life sciences/research sectors well. With his extensive international experience in business and understanding of customer success and expectations he knows how best the Kaha Sciences telemetry solutions can benefit the client as well as ongoing success of the company.

Natalia Lopez, Chief Operations Officer

With a BSc in Electrical Engineering and previous automotive industry experience, Natalia’s introduction to life science began shortly after moving to New Zealand in 2012. She has been fortunate enough to see Kaha’s product evolve over the years to become the sought-after telemetry solution it is today. Her previous experience as an electrical systems engineer in the highly regulated automotive industry along with her PGDip in Quality Systems has been integral in developing and implementing Kaha’s ISO 9001:2015 certified Quality Management System. With a keen interest in process optimisation, product performance and customer success, she works closely across operations and with distributors around the world to ensure Kaha is providing the service and product expected by our customers.

Sarah-Jane Guild, Chief Scientific Officer

Sarah-Jane has more than 15 years’ experience working with telemetry and has been involved with the Kaha system since the early Telemetry Research days. With a background in engineering and physiology, she has a good understanding of both the technical aspects of our system and its scientific application. Sarah-Jane has extensive surgical experience and enjoys working with our customers to get the most out of their telemetry system.

With a PhD in Physiology and Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Sarah-Jane also holds a part time position as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland in the Department of Physiology and the Auckland Bioengineering Institute. Her research areas include cardiovascular physiology, intracranial pressure, optogenetics, and the development of implantable devices.

Phil Griffiths, Telemetry Application Specialist – Europe

Phil joined Kaha Sciences from the University of Bristol where he studied a BSc and PhD in Neuroscience. Over the course of his PhD and post-doc positions he gained extensive research and teaching experience and developed strong technical capabilities in rodent in vivo procedures. Notably he has become an accomplished user of the Kaha Sciences rat pressure telemetry system, with many hours of surgical experience. He has presented at several international conferences and published his research on the role of the neuropeptide apelin in the central control of blood pressure. He is knowledgeable and supportive and is looking forward to working with our existing and new European customers.